Inner tube for pneumatic tires.



' 4A. L. STANFORD.

INNER TUBE FOR PNEUMATIC TIBES. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 14. 1915.

l 1 88,694. Patented June 27, 1916. 1271,

a j//O A UNITED sTA'iis PATENT oFFicE.

' ARTHUR'L. STANFORD, OF CHICAGO. ILLINOIS, lASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF 'IO R. B. GILLETTE, OF EAU CLAIRE, WISCONSIN.

lINNER TUBE FOR PNEUMATIC TIRES.

o Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J une 2`. 15) I (i.

ltube for use in connect-ion wi-tli the ordinary pneumatic tire employed on automobiles and analogous vehicles.

The ob'iect of the invention is to provide an inner tube which will be reinforced in a manner to reduce the danger of puncturing or blowouts and at the same time possess the resiliency of the ordinary inner tube now employed.

The invention further consists in the features of construction and combinations vof -parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a cross section of an outer casing with the inner tube of the present invention placed therein; Fig. 2 is a side view of a portion of the inner tube shown in Fig. l; Fig. 3 is a detail transverse section through the inner tube shown in Figs. l and 2; Fig. 4 is a cross section of an inner tube of a somewhat modified construction; and Fie.` 5 is a side elevation of a portion of an inner tube of a further modified construction.

In the art to which the present invention relates it is Well known that the ordinary pneumatic tire comprises two main parts, namely. the outer casing and the inner tube. Owing to the fact that the inner tube must be resilient in nature it has not been found impractical to render the same stronger by an increase in the thickness of the body thereof. IVlien such increase was effected. it reduced the degree of resiliency and impaired th efficiency of the tire. 1

In the present invention by a peculiar configuration of the-body of the inner tube I am enabled to provide a tube of increased thickness which will thus tend to decrease punctures and blowouts and at the same time possess the resilient property of the ordinary inner tube.

Referring now to the drawing. the inner tube of the present invention is illustrated in Fig. l in conjunction with an outer casing 6 which may be of'any suitable construction.

The inner tube proper comprises a body 7 of which a portion thereof is thickened and thus reinforced. said thickening occurring at the upper portion S and along the sides 9. it being known in the art that punctures and blowouts generally occur along such portions of the tire. In thickening and reinforcing the inner tubes in this manner it must still be allowed its property ot' free resiliency. and to produce this I employ. in the form illustrated in Figs. 1. Q and il. a series of cuts or slits 10 extending transversely of the tube.. and down along the sides' to the point indicated by the numeral 11 in Fig. .1. these cuts may be spaced apart any distance deemed desirable bythe manufacturer. As will be seen from Fig. El each ot' the cuts 10 extend inward in a diagonal direction. rThis forms or produces a series of what may be termed scales along the outer portion of' the inner tube. and it is well known that this scale formation is adapted to allow of a resiliency of a body formed therewith since the scales. when pressure is applied. can slide one on the other. and thus allow of a free resilient action of the body.

As will be seen from Fig. 3. when pressure is applied which would cause the tube to bring into action its resilient property the scales or segments produced by the cuts 10 will slide one over the other. thus allowing a free resilient movement even though the body is thick. Therefore although the tube is thickened so as to reduce the danger of punctures or blowonts it nevertheless is so formed as to maintain the same resiliency which would be attributable to the ordinary and well known inner tube which does not possess any portion which is beyond the ordinary degree of thickness.

Referring to Fig. 4, a somewhat modified form is here shown and differs only in the arrangement of the slits or cuts. The slits in Fig; :t extend longitudinally or circumferentially of the tube instead of transversely as in Figs. 1, l and 3. a portion 12 of sach slits or cuts extend at a desirable angle along one side of the -tube while another portion llof such slits or cuts extend on the opscale-like property to maintain the resiliency of the scale-like formation of the body produced by the diagonal arrangement of the slits or cuts 14 and 15. f

From the foregoing it will be apparent by" a simple ekpedientthe problem of reinforcing an inner tube Without the addition of metal or other means whichavou'ld cause it to lose 1ts-res1l1ency has been effected, and a reinforced inner tubeproduced whlch maintains all "of the resilient characteristics of the ordinary form of tube.

Although the weakening of the' thickened portion of the t-ire to permit flexibility has' been vdescribed asbeing produced by cuts, this is intended to embrace spaces formed at intervals in said thickened portion during the moldingof the tube. Iclaim: b. 1. An inner tube for pneumatic tires comprising a body formed entirely l,of anonmetallic substance, said body' being thickened around the-outer portion thereof, and

said thickened slits cut into ducing an outer surface of -scale-like formaportion having a series of tion, substantially as described.

2. An inner tube for pneumatic tires comprising a bodyportion thickened around thel outer portion thereof, and a series of transversely extending diagonally disposed slits u l cut into thev outer surface of said thickened the outer surface thereof proportion having a series of transverse and longitudinal slits therein extending in a di-y agonal direction to produce a scale-like outer surface, substantially as described.

4. An inner tube for pneumatic tires comprising a thickened body portion and a series of slits in said body portion' producing an overlapped scale-like outer surface, substantially as described.

5. An inner tube for pneumatic tires comprising a body portion .and a series of slits in. said body portion extending partially through. thelouter surface and producing an overlapped scale-like outer surface, substantially as described. v v

6. Anfinner tube for pneumatic tires coinprising a body having a series of slits cut into its outer surface, producing an outer surface of scale-like formation, substantially as described. v

ing a series of transversely extending slits diagonally cutl into the outer surface thereof, producing an outer surface of scale-like formation, substantially as described.

8. 4An inner tube for pneumatic tires having a'series of transverse and a series of 'longitudinal slits cut diagonally thereinto vto produce a scale-like outer surface, substantially as described.- v

' ARTHUR L. s'raNronn.

Witnesses i WM. Pf BOND,

EPHRAIM BANNING. 

